Customer Reviews

Willing Hostage (Mystery Scene Book)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I originally read this book years ago and have my own copy to read again when ever I like. It was one of the first suspense thrillers I read with a woman as the lead character who is very flawed and real. I love her cat. I love the 'bad' guy who's not so bad. Most of all, as a person who grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado, I love her location!

Here's a character who's on the mother of all pity parties. Not that she didn't have things bad growing up. But sometimes you have to go beyond feeling sorry for yourself. Push yourself further than you thought possible. Find out what you're really made of. And, sometimes, as for Leah, you need someone to push you. Someone to make you care about more than just yourself. The plot has as many twists and turns as any mountain road.

I forgot how different the 1970's are from today. I kept thinking the characters should have a cell phone. I loved the characters and enjoyed the adventure throughout the book. If you enjoy romantic / mystery give this one a chance.

I don't mean to sound sexist, but it is hard for me to believe that a woman actually wrote Willing Hostage (1976). It is a non-stop action thriller taking place in the wilds of Colorado. It involves oil shale mining, government sale of public lands, stolen oil company documents, a case of mistaken identity, kidnapping, vicious/torturous murder, dangerous pursuit by goons, CIA and the FBI operatives over rugged mountain tops and on a raging river, self-doubt, self-loathing, romance with a murderer, and a strange fat cat named Goodyear who manages to steal the show. If you had told me David Morrell, author of Rambo/First Blood, or Dean Koontz, author of Einstein/Watchers, wrote it, I would have believed you, no questions asked. But I'm blown away that a relatively unknown female novelist name Marlys Millhiser accomplished such a feat! And I'm even more blown away that it seems to have brought her little fame, fleeting at best, evidenced by only four (4) book reviews for the novel on Amazon. How discouraging to write a truly good book and for it to go so unnoticed.